Breech mechanism for rapid-fire guns.



Patented Dec. I2, 1899.

A. F. WARREN. BREEDH MECHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS.

(Application mea'xul 1-1, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Modpl.)

No. 638,858. Patented Dec. I2. I899.

A. F. WARREN.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR RAPID 'FIRE GUNS.

(Application filed July 17, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W/TNEsSEs,

N8. 638,858. Pat nted 080. I2, I899.

A. F. WARREN.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS.

(Application filed July 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 $heetsSheet 3:

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Patented Dec. l2, I899.

A. F. WARREN.

(Appiication filed July 17, 1899.)

BBEECH MECHANISM FOR RAPID FIRE GUNS.

' (No Model.)

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- iliTiZD STA-res ATENT Fries.

ALVA l \VARREN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR RAPlD-F lRE GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,858, dated December12, 189 Application filed July 17, 1899. Serial No. 724,122. iNo-model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be itknown that I, ALVA F. \VARREN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Breech Mechanism for Rapid-Fire Guns, ofwhich the following is a specification.

lviy invention relates to new and important improvements in theconstruction of the breech mechanism for rapid-ii re guns, ashereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure'l represents a side elevation ofthe gun. Fig.

3 represents an enlarged rear view of the breech of the gun. Fig. 3represents an enlarged side view of the same. Fig. 4 represents anenlarged transverse section taken in line 8 8 of Fig. 3. I

in the drawings, 1 represents the'ba-rrel of the gun. The breech 5 ofthe gun is chainbered rectangularly to receive the rectangularcartridge-block 4, provided with the two cartridge-receiving chambers 5050, as shown in Fig. 1.

The cartridgeblocl; 1 is provided at its lower side with the rack 79,the teeth of which engage the teeth of the pinion 78, the said pinionbeing secured to the inner end of the shaft 59, (shown in, Fig. 3,) tothe outer end of which is attached the hand-wheel 18, by means ofwvhichthe, said shaft is to be rotated to cause the lateral movement of thecartridge-block 4; within chamber 80 as to bring the cartridge-chambers5O 50 alternately in line with the axis of the bore of the g-un-barrel1.

The cartridge-block 4 is provided with the notch 111 at one side andalso with a recess 122, both adapted to receive the engaging end of thesliding bolt 61, which serves to lock the cartridge-block in itsposition for firing, and a sliding bolt 61 is thrown downward out ofengagement with the' cartridge-block by means of the compression-spring62, which is upon the bolt between the collar 63 and the breech of thegun, so that the bolt will be normally out of engagement with the cartridge-olock, but will be thrown into engageinent therewith in propertimely relation to the firing action of the gun by means of the lug 8.-upon the inner side of the hand-wheel 18. The said lug when thehand-wheel is turned in one direction will engage with the under side ofthe forwardly-projecting lug 68 of the lever 83, whichis pivoted to thebreech of the gun at the point 114 and jointed to the lowerend of thebolt 61, so that the said bolt will be thrown up into the notch 111 tohold the breech-block in position, as shown in Fig. 3, in which thecartridge-chamber 50 is in position for firing, and when the hand wheel18 is turned in the opposite direction the lug 84 'will come intoengagement with the projecting lug 85 of the lever 87, which is pivotedto the breech atthe stud 115, and provided at the outer end with theenlarged end 66 and with aperforation 116, which is adapted to receivethe cylindrical stud 67, which projects outwardly from the end of thelever 6i, whereby when the lug 84 comes into engagement with the underside of the lug 85 the lever 64 will be actuated to force the bolt 61upward into the recess 112 to hold the breechblock while firing the gun,and upon the in-' itial reverse movement of the hand-wheel the bolt 61will be removed from the said recess to allow the proper lateralmovement of the breech-block by means of the rack and gear.

Nhen the breeclrblock 4 has been brought into position for firing thecartridge, the pointed end 75.0t' the firing-pin '73, which is held in asuitable perforation in the breech of the gun and actuated in theoutward di.- rection by means of the spiral spring 74, is forced outwardby means of the lever 70, pivoted to the breech at the point 71, thehead 72 of the said lever being made to rest against the head of thetiring-pin, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the said lever beingthrown backward in timely relation to the movemen of the breech-block bymeans of the face-cam,

G9, scoured to the shaft 59, the firing position of the said lever andcam being shown in Fig. 2.

\Vithinsuitablc recesses 11?, made in the breech-block 4. at the rearend of the cartridge-chambers 50 50, are placed the cartridge-shellejectoi's 51 51, which are pivoted upon suitable pins 52 52, the saidejector-s being actuate-d to withdraw the cm pty cartridgeshells bymeans of the levers 53 53, which are pivoted to the breech of the gun bymeans of the stud 60 60 and having their beveled cngaging ends 54:thrown upward for engagement with the lower end of the cartridge;ejectors 51 by means of the toe-cams 58 58, secured to the shaft 59, thesaid toe-cams being caused to engage with the upper side of the arms-57of the levers 53, asshown-in'connection with the right-hand lever 53 inFig. 4, where a movement in the direction of the arrow will cause theupward movement of the inclined end 54 of the lever 53 into the path ofthe lower end of the cartridge-ejector 51 to cause the initialwithdrawal of the empty cartridge-shell from the chamber.

At the inner side of the arms 57 of the levers 53 are placed the arms56, over which are placed the springs 55, the action ofwhich will besuch as to allow thc toe-cams 58 to pass from the under to the upperside of the arms 57 of the levers 53, the said springs 55 ,being.compressed between thearins 56 and the under side of the breech 5.

Upon the sidesof the breech 5 of the gun are arranged the lugs 81 81,which are beveled at their inner faces 81 (shown in' Fig. 5) in order tocrowd the cartridges forward in its'chamber in case it has not beenproperly entered therein, and the permanently-attached handles 16 and 17are provided for the convenient manipulation of the gun by breech-blockin its position for firing the gun, the lever connected with the slidingbolt, means in connection with the rock-shaft for actuating the saidlever, the spring-actuated firing-pin, and lever, for firing thecartridge,

ating the said lever, the levers forwithdrawing the cartridge-shell, thetoe-cams upon the rock-shaft for actuating the said levers, and thehand-wheel for operating the rock-shaft, substantiall y as described.

2. In a rapid-fire gun the combination of the gun-barrel; the slidingbreech-block provided with cartridge-chambers; and the shellextractinglevers pivoted to the breech-block, with the rack and gear'for impartinglateral movement to the breech-block; the levers provided withcompression-springs and the beveled outer ends for engagementwith theshell-extractin g levers upon the lateral movement of the breech-block;and the two cams for actuating the beveled levers to engagement,substantially as described.

3. In a rapid-fire gun the combination of the gun-barrel and the slidingbreech-block provided with the cartridge-chambers and the rack and gearfor actuating the breechblock, with the inclined lugs upon theside ofthe breech of the gun adapted to carry the cartridge into the chamberwhenever the cartridge has not been properly entered therein,substantially as described.

ALVA F. WARREN.

Witpessesi ALVIN O. WARREN, ANNIE E. WARREN.

means connected with the rock-shaft for actu-

